As a guy that lives near Indianapolis, I find myself watching far more Colts games every season than probably any other team in the league. Because of this, I like to believe I have a better feel for the team than most national media outlets.
Last season, the Colts were dealt what would prove to be a crippling blow to their season when it became apparent that they would not have the services of Peyton Manning for the duration of the season. Just prior to the beginning of the season, many sports analysts from the four letter network thought the Colts would struggle but remain relevant in a somewhat weak division.
Those expectations were quickly dispelled during the early weeks of the season. It had taken one injury to expose the Colts’ desperate lack of talent on both sides of the ball, and following the conclusion of the regular season, it became apparent that the Colts were in full-blown rebuilding mode.
With the first pick of this year’s draft, the Colts took Andrew Luck, a quarterback many believe is the best prospect at that position since Peyton Manning entered the league in 1998. Regardless of his talent level, Andrew Luck will be tried like never before in his first season with the Colts, and he needs to be able to shut out the pressure to succeed down the road.
I hate to be a Debbie-downer here, but the Colts have a very long way left to go before their roster is back up to par. Andrew Luck’s success depends on his ability to stay calm and collected, even as the game is falling apart around him, and rest assured, it will. Likewise, the Colts have to be patient with Luck. He’ll need talent around him to succeed, and that’s exactly what he won’t have in his first couple of seasons with the Colts. They need to realize that if he’s struggling early in his career, it may not be entirely his fault.
It’s always tough to build a team around a quarterback. The Colts couldn’t pass up the opportunity of bringing in such a high caliber prospect as Andrew Luck, but he won’t fix all of their problems. This season is all about building for the future in Indianapolis, so for all the Colts fans out there; patience people, patience.
